Commentary by Chris CarterUntold millions would perish under the tyranny of Soviet leader Josef Stalin

When we hear the term “anarchy,” it brings to mind a society with no laws or structure. In the hands of good people, anarchy can represent absolute freedom. One could argue that Americans would be far more prosperous if we were free of the heavy taxes and regulations that hamper our economy today.

But in the hands of the bad, anarchy represents chaos. There is no rule of law to deter criminals; no police force to protect the people or their property; no military to repel foreign invaders.

But that is only if we consider the citizens of a state. Expand the focus and consider anarchy of government.

Merriam-Webster defines anarchy as the “absence or denial of any authority or established order.” Ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We the people are in fact the rightful government of the United States, and those we have elected are mere public servants chosen to handle the affairs of the state according to our will and within the constraints of our Constitution.

Considering the history of our federal government in recent years – particularly the behavior of this Congress and administration – we can see an escalating trend of disregard for the established order of our Constitution and an increasing denial of the people's authority over government.

No different than a robot in a science fiction movie that becomes “self-aware” and wreaks havoc on its former human masters, our government has also become self-aware: realizing, seemingly, that it is no longer the servant of the people, but the master. No longer bound by the Constitution, but all-powerful.

In an anarchy of government, the rulers are the ones with absolute freedom. But they know that there is only a few thousand of them in a nation of over 300 million. Therefore, every aspect of the people's lives must be controlled. Guns are restricted, communications are monitored, private property is confiscated, education is watered down, healthcare and other industries are nationalized.

But tyrants are never satisfied; they also dictate what is in your garden, your lightbulbs, and your kid's lemonade stand – no longer held to the authority of the people or Constitution, they can now control every aspect of our lives. Not theirs, however: the anarchists in Washington aren't held to the laws they pass for us.

History is replete with examples of tyrants sweeping themselves into power, then turning on the people. You may say "that will never happen here," but millions of Russians, Germans, Ukrainians, and so on said exactly the same thing. It never ends well, and sadly, Americans are heading in that direction right now.

We the people must become self-aware and realize that government is only there to do our bidding, that they only have what authority that we give them, and may only operate within the parameters established by the Constitution that they all swore an oath to “support and defend.”

Americans can no longer continue to watch events unfold, such as President Obama's unilateral gun control agenda, and say “somebody should do something.” We must realize that “somebody” is us, and that we have witnessed the end of our constitutional republic and the dawning of tyranny if we don't take political action.